The UK - British literatures up to the beginning of the 19th century

How everybody knows, the UK consinsts of islands, and these islands have been a little bit isolated from the continental Europe. So sometimes British literature as well as the whole British culture differed from the European one. On the other hand there have almost always been some connections between Britain and e. g. France, so British culture was influenced by the continental one and vice- versa. In the UK, as anywhere, was literature influenced by political situation, or by some wars and so on... Very important is ruler. During reign of some kings or queens literature and the whole culture flourished. On the other hand some rulers didn’t support literature and sometimes, some types of creation were even forbidden.